Menendez: Cuban smear 'appalling'

Sen. Robert Menendez on Tuesday expressed dismay about Cuba’s alleged ability to interfere in U.S. politics following a report that he may have been the target of a shadowy smear campaign.

“It should be pretty appalling that a foreign government should be engaged in trying to effect the election or position of a U.S. Senator,” the New Jersey Democrat said in an interview with CNN. “If that can happen, I think there’s real consequences for our democracy.”

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The Washington Post reported that salacious allegations against Menendez - that he’d consorted with underage prostitutes - may have been part of a Cuban spy plot aimed at disgracing him. His lawyer sent a letter to the Department of Justice to pursue the evidence it had about the Cuban government conspiracy, according to the Post.

On CNN, Menendez said he was unable to comment directly on the letter sent by his attorney, he said he wanted a through government investigation of the evidence.